Amac Productions

Did I? Did you? Did you see that?

Gabrielle got scared and reached for Xena.

How many episodes in am I? Damn, that was some top-tier slow-burn goodness right there.

This almost as good as when that love interest died, Death took him away, and Gabrielle cried on Xena’s shoulder while Xena had an ‘oh shit’ moment.

This is the kind of thing we don’t get too often today. I mean, sure, I scour every episode of Station 19 and NCIS: Hawai’i for any mention or hint of the couple that’s together because we never get this much screen time for beloved couples.

But here we do!

Xena and Gabrielle are the only main characters.

It doesn’t matter who visits from Hercules or how many love interests pass though in the middle of the night. They’re always the only people repeating episode in and episode out.

So I get to look through each episode, deciphering every interaction, every touch, and I kind of love it. I get to make the story anything I want, through the subtext.

It’s definitely there.

Make no mistake – these two are going to fall in love. I know it.

But how, when, everything is left to me to figure out, and make theories about with my friends online.

Even though I complain about lack of togetherness, they still have way more screentime together than any couple on TV that’s not straight right now.

So I’m going to freak when they touch!

Which they did.

I loved that Xena tried to help her headache. That she was soothing and calm when Gabrielle was apologizing for being caught.

I think you could actually see how little Xena cared about Gabrielle getting caught.

I don’t think for a moment that Xena expects Gabrielle to fully take care of herself or be as good as Xena is. I think she full well knows that sometimes bad things will happen and Gabrielle will need a rescue from her.

Regardless, she doesn’t seem to mind.

This entire episode, she’s been hard.

She’s dealing with Autolycus whose doing his best to bother her and get one over on her as much as he can. She’s surrounded by people she can’t trust, risking her life for some friends who saved her long ago, and is trying to save the day.

Yet in the middle of all that, even while her cover is blown, and there is a crazy man staring her down, holding her friend, she finds a moment to be soothing.

I’m not kidding. Go back and listen to her voice when she speaks to Gabrielle in that scene. It’s soft, warm, and caring.

Her edge disappears during her few words to her friend.

How far we’ve come.

I think Xena has cared for Gabrielle the moment she stood up for her village and for Xena in the first episode. But getting to know her, having a real friend for the first time in who knows how long, she’s softened.

At least, for Gabrielle.

Because I’m certain the pressure point guy didn’t feel like she had gone soft when she punched him in the chest and ended his life.

By the way, did anyone else hear Gabrielle cheering Xena on during that fight?

It was very adorable.

I especially liked Gabrielle fighting along with Xena without actually doing anything. You know, like when you’re watching a fight, and you jab too even though it does nothing. It was so cute.

On another fighting note, a bit off topic, I loved Autolycus’ face during his fights. It flipped between terrified and smug that he hadn’t died yet. It was good.

And I loved Bruce Campbell. I saw him for the first time on Burn Notice and seeing him here again made me smile so wide. Until he was a bit of sleaze and kept trying for more than he was ever going to get out of Xena.

Like the kiss.

Or… anything really.

She did not seem romantically interested at all. While Bruce Campbell has played characters perpetuality interested in women. That was no surprise. Just the grossness was off putting.

Though I liked that he did not seem as heartless as he tried to come off. As he did return the money, which was a lovely gesture to the people who didn’t have much.

Also, was that Ark of Covenant with the Ten Commandments?

Excuse me, if I’m mixing things up, this is not my area of expertise. But like, wha?

And why was it able to blast a man to ashes? Not that I’m complaining, because he kind of had it coming, but – what?

What just happened?

Feel free to drop a comment on that one.

Yikes.

Overall, aside from the secondhand embarrassment of watching the dance scene and Autolycus being too sleazy for my taste, it was a good episode.

I do need more Gabrielle and Xena together, but this episode was solid with the time we did have together. We got a great bit of insight into how far we’ve come since they met.

Ancient rules and behavior something were not harmed while the production was made which is always good news. I suppose. Wouldn’t want to piss anyone off.

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